[Dixielandjazz] Dixie vs. Trad

[Gluetje1 at aol.com]

Rick, No big deal with me but I was surprised and confused by your defining 
 "Trad" as banjo, tuba, and the front three -- but then that was not what  
any of your examples below were.
Ginny
 
 
In a message dated 1/14/2011 5:16:24 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
rickz at usermail.com writes:

I can't  /define/ dixie, and apparently no one else 
can!!

When I was at  Little Rock High School -- 1952, we 
did a minstrel, and we did "Are you  from Dixie"

Well... I'm from Dixie, and I can't define  Dixieland.

I can define "Trad"

Lu Watters put a band together in  SFO, to play 
"music"  It was patterned after the King Oliver  Band.
It was the start of the "Trad Jazz Revival"

I cut my eye teeth  on The Fire House Five Plus 
Two, and then Turk Murphy.  We called it  "Dixieland"
but it wasn't.  Troublemakers said "you can't call 
it  'dixieland' because it's not from DIXIE"

Well that's right.  I can  define Trad!   It has

Tuba
Banjo
The front three  (trumpet, clarinet, trombone)
TUBA.
(why tuba??? because IT GOES WITH  THE BANJO!!!)

Unfortunately, the early trad bands didn't pick up  
the Splash Cymbal, which was a 20's staple.

So, the best trad bands  now are not even in the US!!

Sharkey -- from the  70's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mx9eyBJmBs

La Porteno -- from  the  present.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9CJVGxwnLI&feature=related

Except  for, of course,
Vince Giordano, who's Nighthawks obviously capture 
that  Coon-Sander's element from the 20's.

Vince was the bass coach at the  Adult Trad Jazz 
Camp I went to in San Diego, but I really didn't 
get  to know him!!

Anyway... historically... when the Firehouse Five  
plus 2 started playing, people called it Dixieland.

"It's not  Dixieland" -- the purists screamed -- 
it's from <gasp>  California.   Yes.. and so was 
Turk Murphy.

And Bob  Schultz.   And we know -- it's not Dixie 
-- it's  TRAD!!

So.. anyway... I can't define "dixie" but I sure 
can define  TRAD.  And that's what I want to play

Rick Jolley, banjo
The  Colorado Nighthawks
Colorado Springs,  CO